Attachment for circular hosiery-machines.



R. W. SCOTT.

ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR HOSIERY MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. m2.

1,15%,849. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

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zamcnmmmccamml- R. W. SCOTT.

ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR HOSIERY MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27.1912.

1,152,849. I PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

VY/fnesses MTW %/l27;i5 4 [HI/9020f {W A W-2% R. W. SCOTT. ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR HOSIERY MACHINES. I

APPLICATION FILED 1: 1:21, 1912.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.-

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3- R. W. SCOTT.

ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR HOSIERY MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1912.

1 1 52,49. Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

ITIIIIIII'I To 5 t g 5 i .b- I I s 1 2 5 i I E E N3 T 5 j E I L- m i m 5 PM M'fnesses fnvemar R. W SCOTT.

ATTACHMENT FOR CIRCULAR HOSIERY MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED JUNE 27' I912.

5 1 m T 7-H H t..\ s 6 Sm dun 63 Ms W a P [/1 var; far- SW fl/fy ROBERT W. SCOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SCOTT & WILLIAMS, INCORPORATED, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ATTACHMENT FOR- CIRCULAR HOSIERY-MACHI NES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 7, 1915.

Application filed June 27, 1912. Serial No. 706,277.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that LROBERT W. Soon", a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Circular Hosiery- Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for interfering with the normal knitting of tubular fabric, at certain predetermined times, to produce one or more courses, sections or areas of a different texture of fabric.

An object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and effective device, capable of being applied to existing types of ma chines, for producing in the fabric animproved structure, specifically such structures as those shownand described in the patent to Loretto A. Costello, No. 976,555, granted Nov. '22, 1910, as well as other special and occasional variations in the texture of the knit web.

To this and other ends which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, my invention relates to certain new devices for addition to existing circular machines, and to the combination with said devices of the old parts and elements of the machine, as will .be fully described below, in certain embodiments only, in connection with a machine of the type disclosed in the patent to George D. Mayo, No. 726,178, granted April 21, 1903; but it'will be evident that the particular device described and illustrated, and the particular machine to which it is shown attached, are illustrative merely, and may well be varied.

In the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 is a right side elevation of so much of a knitting machine of the type stated as will serve to show the application to it of my new devices; Fig. 1 is a detail perspective of the pattern chain; Fig. 2 is plan partly in section on the line I-I-II of Fig. 1, showing a different position of the cam-cylinder; Fig. 3 is a plan showing the cam element of the special needle operatingidevices when in its intermediate position and about to begin operation on the long butt needles; Fig. 3 is a development of the barrel cam 23; Fig. 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe cam operating device for the special elevating cams; Figs. 6 and 7 are developments of the inner surface of the cam cylinder showing respectively the idle and the operative positions of the special cams; Fig. 8 is a plan showing a modified form of the device for'moving a special cam such as that shown in Fig. 11; Fig. 9 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a side elevation showing another modification of the mounting for the special cams; Fig. 11 is a development of a portion of the needle cams showing the additional'cam 121; Fig. 12 is a development of a modification showing the cam 122 employed with the devices of Fig. 10.

The machine table A, the bed-plate B, the drive-shaft etO, and idle and speed-changing pulleys 136, 135, and 127, may be of the usual construction built under the said Mayo patent. Likewise the camshaft 1 02,. the cam 101, the clutch-shifting lever 120, the drive-ratchet 177 for the cam-shaft, and the pawl-controller 185 for said ratchet, pivoted on the stud 184, the needle pickers 62 and the mechanism for rotating and oscil- 'lating the needle cylinder may be of the usual construction. a

The fixed needle cylinder 1 supported by bed-plate B, is provided with a full circle of independently movable latch needles in twdcontinuous series, oneseries, occupying about one-half of the peripheral surface being provided with short butts n, while the other series is furnished with longer butts n all as usual.

The machine may be equipped with the usual web holders operated by the webholder ring 114 of the said patented machine, and the yarn or yarns supplied to the knit-' ting wave or waves created by the advanc- I be of any well known type, such as that of the patented machine.

As in the patented machine, the separation into two series, or halves, of the circle of needles, preparatory to narrowing and widening to form the heel or toe, may be accomplished by the swinging and radially movable switclrcam 49, acting to elevate the -to provide for the selection and special operation of any selected series of the needles without interference with any of the above noticed old mechanism for knitting a fash ioned stocking. In. the particular form disclosed, the desired. object is to so operate alternate needles, or every third or fourth needle, as to cause it to fail to perform its knitting cycle during one or more courses, or passages of the knitting cams, while retaining its previous loop, and to then operate it normally in the next course, or succeeding courses, and therefore to form a tucked or draw stitch in the wale from the selected needle, for the purpose disclosed in said Costello patent, andto limit the extent of said stitches to one course, if desired, repeating the structure at predetermined intervals separated by an extent of plain fabric.

At a point betweenthe stitch-cam 27, Figs. 6 and 7, and the switch-cam 49, the ledge 9 of the cam-ring is recessed at 10 to form a depression with sloped ends.

A radially'movable depressing cam 11 and elevating cam 12 are rigidly but adjustably mounted for movement into the recess 10, as by screws 14, on ablock 13 on the inner end of a squared radially movable slide 16 mounted on a standard 17 on the cam-ring 15. The lower end of the cam 11, which in the direction for rotary knitting shown by the arrows in Figs. 6 and 7 precedes the cam 12, is slightly lower than said cam, and spaced from it to provide an opening wide enough to admit the needle butts. The cam 12 is of sufficient height to move the needle buttsggncountering it to the idle level above cam Cam 11 normally depresses or retracts all the needles when the slide 16 and its at-.

tachments are in their innermost position, and has no effect to-prevent the normal operation of the needles y,which pass upward from therecess 10 and into the knitting path between the cams 24 and 27 as usual, the effect of the cam 11 being to guard the leading end of the cam 12 from contact with the needle-butts, and provide at the point occupied by it a greater separation between the active and idle levels of the needle-butts, in order to enable the special separation of the needles at a point slightly below their normal level.

Cooperating with the cam 12, and well below the level of the needle-butts on the cam-ledge, is an elevating jack-cam, which recess forming an advancing and retracting cam-path for the butts of jacks 20 sliding in the same grooves with, and beneath the lower ends, of the selected needlesupon which draw or tuck stitches are to be formed.

The advancing orleading part of the campath for the jack-butts is parallel with the active face of the cam 12, and separated from it by a vertical distance slightly less than the vertical distance between the butt of a needle and the butt of a jack 20 in contact with it. The leading end of the cam 18 projects downward beneath the level of the bottom of the cam-ring 24:, to encounter and move the jack-butts traveling beneath its bottom edge 21. The upperends of the jacks move on the dotted line 22 of Fig. 7 The butts of such needles, indicated at w, as are provided with jacks, will be moved upward in the space between cams 11 and 12, on a line parallel with the face of cam'12, will then encounter the cam, pass to the idle level, and be passed by the knitting wave,

formed in the remaining needles y, having no jacks, without entering beneath the cam 27. I v y The jacks 20 having been retired by the following slope 19 of their cam, the needles as are again restored to the normal level 9 by the switch cam 19 employed as in the said patented Mayo machine to operate the instep needles. As in said machine, said cam is radially movable, so that when in its lowermost position it encounters the long butt needles only, to lift them. to the idle path, but when elevated to the position shown in Figs. 6 and 7, it is moved inward to act upon the butts of all of the elevated" needles. I

It follows that in order first to specially operate the selected needles by means of their jacks and then to restore themto normal knitting movements, the cams 11- and 12 should be made intermittently operative.

" ing a hardened anti-friction sleeve 22 to take against the operative face of a barrel-cam 23, under the outward stress of a tension spring 37 housed in a bore of the standard 17, and acting on the slide 16. Said: cam 23 is provided with an integral or attached ratchet 28, shown as-having six teeth,,and with indicator depressions 29, cooperating with a spring detent 30 fast on the standard 17 An upwardextension 38'of said standard provides a bearing for the shaft 25 integral with or attached to the cam 23. On

a shoulder 31 vturned on the extension 38 a pawl-arm 32 has a bearing for a short rocking movement. Said arm is provided with studs 33 and 34 respectively carrying a pawl 35 for the ratchet 28 and a hardened roller 36 for operating the pawl-arm. The parts are held in place by a cap 26 screwed to shaft 25.

Screwed at 39 to the side of the standard 17 opposite to the detent 30 is a stripperplate 41, the inner face of which is concentric with the needle-cylinder and positioned to just clear the long butts of the needles. The lower edge of the stripper-plate is close to and follows the slope of cam 12, as will appear in Figs. 3 and 5.

The active face of the cam 23, as shown in F ig. 3 is provided with a lower level 23*, an intermediate dwell 23 and a high level 23 followed by an abrupt descent 23 to the level 23 and a further abrupt descent to the level 23.

The relation of the dwell 23 to the ratchet 28 is such as to bring the dwell opposite the sleeve or follower 22 when the pawl arm 32 is in the middle of the arc of its motion, the relation of the teeth of the ratchet, extent of movement of the pawl, and .circumferential arc of the active parts of the cam 23 being such as to causethe sleeve or follower to be carried from the lowest part 23 to the highest part 23 of the cam in one complete forward stroke of the pawl, while between the beginning and the end of the next two succeeding forward strokes of the pawl the follower is permitted to descend in two stages, to move its slide l6 to the left, as shown in Fig. 4, by reason of the descent 23 and the following descent, to withdraw the cams 11 and 12. The stripper plate 41 is effective at this time to prevent any of the needles in contact with the cams 11 or 12' from being frictionally drawn out of their grooves.

In order to render the cams 11 effective on all the needles and to render the cam 12 effective upon all of the needles as, provided with jacks, advantage is taken of the necessary presence of the series of needles with long butts n Such needles will, on the actuation of the device shown in Fig. 4, when follower 22 is on the dwell 23 of the cam 23, be engaged and lowered by the cam 11, which with the cam 12, makes its first movement radially inward when opposite the short butt needles, and to the extent determined by thedwell 23 only far enough inward to engage the long butt needles. Movement inward of the cams 11 and 12 in one stage would not be practicable because the.

sition, moved so many of the long butt needlcs as extend across the thickness of said cams, they may be moved inward the full distance to affect the short butt series. After the last needle 00 of the series to be operated has been moved upward far enough to pass upward at the advancing end of the stitchcam 27, a sudden radial movement of the cam 12, together with the cam 11, is caused, to prevent again moving upward any of the following needles m. It will be noticed that such needles w as have been depressed by the cam 11 before it is withdrawn will still be moved upward to the limit of motion of their jacks, but such motion is not sufiicient to lift them substantially from the normal level 9, and their normal operation is not The motion outwardly of the slide 16 may be caused at the instant of passing the last short-butt needle 00, but in, the form of my device, shown in Figs. 1 to 7, I prefer to again operate the long butt needles only to tuck through another course.

22 to move to the left at 23 upon the cams 11 and 12 entering the long butt series for the second time, and will be operated again while passing the short butts, by the following descent, to completely withdraw the cams.

In order to properly time the movements above described, the following mechanism is provided for operating the pawl arm 32, and the cams controlled by it: On the bedplate B, ina bore in a suitable standard 50 (which may be a part of the sectional splicing device, or other suitable old part of the machine) a sliding stem51 is mounted for a short radial movement. A plunger 53 and a spring 55 in a hole 53 in the standard 50 presses outwardly against a pin 52 in the stem. On the inner end of the stem is mounted a setting-cam or actuator 53 for pawl 35, occupying a comparatively large arc of a circle, and in its inner position concentric with the aXis of rotation of the cam-cylinder. The leading end of the cam 53, in the direction of the rotation of the cam-cylinder, presents an active face 53, the central portion is a horizontal dwell, and the end portion 53 is an active face, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, for engagement with the actuating roller 36 on pawl arm 32. The cam slopes 53 and 53 are together sufficient to move the pawl-arm and its pawl 35 through the space of one tooth of the ratchet 28. .The ratchet is therefore advanced by two successive movements of its- The cam 23 will therefore be operated to permit sleeve in the cam 53. It will be noticed from Fig.

2, in which the position of the ends of the needle-butts is indicated by dotted lines,

that the end of the short-butt series of ratchet 28 to advance one tooth at each revolution of the cam cylinder, but in .two distinct steps or stages, one of these occurring before the cams 11 and 12 have reached the first long-butt needle. During this first movement the cams 11 and 12 are moved inward by the face 23 of cam 23 to their midposition, determined by the dwell 23 of the cam 23, in which they will encounter the long-butt needles only. This movement is possible because the said cams are at this time opposite the short-butt needles. The second stage of the movement of the ratchet, effected by the active face 53 of settingcam 53, takes place, owing to the separation of the active parts of setting cam 53, after the first few long-butt needles havebeen engaged and moved far enough to vertically separate them from the last short-butt needles by a distance suflicient to admit the thickness of cam 12, which, together with cam 11, is now advanced the full distance inward by cam 23. Cams 11 and 12 remain in their inmost position determined by the high part 23 of .cam 23, during the remainder of the revolution until the ratchet 28 is again advanced half a tooth by. the face 53 of the setting-cam 53; the descent 23 of cam 23 will then be effective ,to release the sleeve 22, and permit the cams ll and 12 to move outward, to cause the cams vto affect the long butts only. At this time the last short-butt needle a: will have been moved upward far enough to'clear cam 27, and the .first of the long-butt needles as will have been moved insufliciently for this purpose. Upon again encountering the active face 53, the ratchet device will com pletely remove the cams 1.1 and 12. The

ratchet 28 may now be actuated idly through several teeth withoutagain advancing the cams 11 and 12', but it is preferred to removethe setting cam 53 'at once after the active cycle of the devices for operating the special cams 11 and 12. l

In order to accomplish themotions of the setting cam 53, and therefore the placing in thefabric of the special structure with certainty and at the proper time, said cam '53 is automatically put into action by the pattern mechanism of the machine, is latched in its active position, and is then automatically unlatched upon the completion of the cycle' of the special'cams, preferably by a part controlled by the motion of the cams when they have completed their work.

the special fabric course 'oted on the standard Referring to Fig. 1, on the stud 184 of the said patented Mayo machine, which stud carries the pawl-guard 185 for the pattern cam-shaft ratchet 177, is pivoted an indicator lever 57 the outer end of which is directly above the. left, and hitherto unused side of the pattern chain 147. The said chain, in addition to the usual lugs, is

rovided with one or more links with lugs 201, which may be placed wherever desired, their placing determining the location of or courses. Connected tothe lever 57 is a link 56, which may be adjustable in length, which in turn is connected to one arm of a bell-crank 55 pivoted on the standard 50, the other arm taking against the pin 52 on stem 51, to move it inward whenever a lug 201 is brought under the indicator lever 57. Piv- 50 is a spring-pressed latch 54 having an inwardly projecting end 58 chamfered off at the top. A notch on the upper side of the latch takes under the setting cam 53 when said cam is in its 1nmost position. In this position the chamfered end 58 of the latch 54 is directly in the path of the outer end of the radial slide 16 carrying the special cams. The lower face of the end of said slide is beveled to strike and release the latch when the slide is in its outermost position. One of the lugs 201 having through the described connections moved the setting cam 53 inward, the ratchet 28 will be actuated, and the movement inward of the slide 16 will result in leaving the latch 54 free to lock the cam 53 in active position. The lug 201 is now withdrawn by the motion of the chain 147, but the cam 53 remains in its active position until after the outward motion of the slide 16 brings the beveled end of said slide into contact with the latch 54 and releases it. This takes place on the next revolution after the removal of the cams 11 and 12 from action.

It will be noticed that by this devicethe pattern chain determines the entrance nto action of the special cam operating devices, but that said operating devices automatically remain in action, thereafter, inde-' pendently of the pattern chain, until then cycle is completed, when they cause the removal from an active position of the setting-cam forming their connection to the pattern mechanism.

It is desirable to limit the making of the special stitch to a single complete course, involving all of the needles w, without twice operating any of said needles. In the case of a tuck stitch extending over a plurality of courses, it is desirable to end the last course of tucked work on the needles :0 preceding that needle on which the special stitch was first formed.

In the case of the devices shown in Figs. 1 to ,7, the accurate ending of the operation of the needles :2, unless the long-butt needles are twice operated, rests upon the time of withdrawal of the cams 11 and 12 by the cam 23. A nice adjustment is required to prevent overlapping the ends of the tucked course, and therefore making certain of the stitches as two course tucks, which is avoided by the use of the device shown in Figs. 8, 9 and 11. The special cams l1 and 12 are operated as above described, but I provide in addition thereto a depressing cam 121, to engage the long butt needles and return them to the knitting path, carried on a block 122 integral with or attached to a slide-rod 123 moving in the sameopening'in the standard 17 as the slide 16, which may be reduced to accommodate it. The block 13 is cut away to prevent interference with the block 122. The slide 123 is providedwith a head 124 serving as a stop taking against standard 17 to limit the inward movement of cam 121 to a position in which it can barely engage the long butt needles only.

Movement of the slide 123 is effected by a lug 125 on the slide 16 working in a notch 126 of the slide 123. A ball detent 127 having a spring 129 adjustable by screw 128 prevents accidental movement of said slide 123. The lost motion between lug 125 and notch 126 is sufiicient to allow a movement of one slide independently of the other of at least the difference in height of the needle butts to permit cams 11 and 12 to enter within the radius of the short butt needles without advancing the cam 121. A slight further movement of slide 16 will then advance cam 121 just far enough to engage the long butts; such further movement is effected by a lug 23 constituting a local high part of the cam 23 serving to move the cam slide 16 farther inward than would be necessary merely to engage cams 11 and 12 with the short butt needles. The slide 16, which first moved to its mid-position, will therefore move the cams l1 and 12 in to. engage and actuate the long butts, and then to engage the short butts, without affecting the cam 121. When the slide 16 is moved all the way in, while opposite the short butts,

by lug 23 the cam 121 will be moved to its inward position, and upon passage of any long butt needles m up the face of cam 12,

' such needle will be immediately returned by cam 121 to the active path.

Since the special operation of the needles m, begins at the first long butt needle, and must end at the last short butt needle, it will be seen that the use of cam l21permits cams 11 and 12 to remain inaction, in their inmost position, and in this position to be effective upon short-butt needles a: only,

since the engagement and operation by said cams of any long butt needle m is anidle operation, failing to remove such needle from the active path. The withdrawal of the cams 11 and 12 may now take place at any point opposite the long butt series without causing the second operation of any of the needles m.

I find it desirable to insure leaving no needle m, such as a long butt needle actuated for the second time by the cam 12, in an intermediate position. To this end, the lost motion of the lug 125 in notch 126 may be suflicient to permit the full withdrawal of cams 11 and 12 from contact with any of the needles before lug 125 encounters head 12 1 to withdraw the cam 121, after cams 11 and 12 have been withdrawn, until such time as slide 16 is given an additiona outward movement. Referring to Fig.8 t e cam 23 may be formed with a low shoulder 23 following the descent 23 of a height sufficient to-permit the sleeve 22 to cause the slide 16 to withdraw cams 11 and 12 from contact with any of the needles, but not far enough to completely withdraw cam 121. The de- .drawn to remove all of the cams.

In Figs. 10 and 12 I have shown a different construction of the cam'12 for accomplishing the same purposes as the above mechanism. Said cam is made in two parts, 12 and 122, of which the latter is mounted on a bell-crank lever pivoted at 131 on a lug extending upward from slide 16, which is otherwise the same as in Figs. 1 to 7. The standard 17 is suitably cut away above the channel for the slide 16 to permit the passage of the pivot-lug and arm 132 of said bell-crank. A pivoted dog 133 on standard 17, pressed upwardly against a stop-pin 135 by a spring 134 connected at its other end to stripper 41, pivoted at 136 on the standard 17, is in the outward path of the lower end of arm 132, but can yield when cam 122 is moved inward. Said cam 122 is provided with an offset shoulder 137 near its lowerand upwardly beveled end. Upon the sudden outward movement of the cams 11, 12 and 122 at the completion of their operation upon the short-butt needles, as described in connection with cams 11 and 12, the point of dog 133 strikes arm 132 of bell-crank 130,, 132, moving the cam 1221s; arply upward to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. I 1.2. Stripper-plate 41 is moved upward by the same means. This movement of cam 122 is timed to occur when the shoulder 137 is under the last short-butt needle 00, and said needle and such others as are upon the slope of said point of approaching stitch cam 27. Cam

'12 is not high enough to advance the succeeding needles above the point of the stitchcam. A vertical separation of the lastspecial needle 02 to be operated from the other needles w following it is thus efl'ected. Upon the next succeeding inward motion of the cams, cams 12 and 122 remain in contact and behave as one cam.

be again normally operated, to permit the stitch-cam to operate the one and to miss the other.-

'Thefgeneric invention illustrated by the devices shown and described in this appli cation is also illustrated in my application Serial No. 714,536, filed August 12, 1912, and I do not herein claim the broad invention common to the disclosure of both applications.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

- 1. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a cam carrier and a stitch cam for actuating the needles,-means to rotate and reciprocate the cam carr er, 1n combination with a sup-' plemental cam mechanism carried by the cam carrier for rendering the needles active or idle at the stitch cam, comprising a retractingcam surface, and an, advancing cam surface out of the path ofthe retracted needles, means to'render said surfaces active or idle, and means for advancing some of the needles after they have been influenced by the retracting cam to cause them to be engaged and'actuated by the advancing cam,

. to render said needles idle.

2. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a rotatable cam carrier, cams thereon comprising meansto maintain the needles at a I normal. level and a stitch cam for moving the needles to knit, in combination with a retracting cam surface ,to carry all of the supplemental 'cam' mechanism comprising a needles below said level, an advancing cam surface, means for rendering the supplemental cam mechanism operative or inoperative upon the needles and means foractuat-' ing certain of'the needles after they have .been'influenced by the retracting cam to cause them to engageand be actuated by the advancing-cam to-carry said needles only out of thepath ofthe stitch cam.

3. In a knitting machine, a. relatively fixed needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a cam carrier, means -to rotate and reciprocate said cam carrier,

and a stitch.cam on said carrier fen-actuating the needles, in combination with a supplemental cam mechanism on sald cam carrler for renderlng the needles active or idle at the stitch cam, comprisinga retracting cam surface and an advancing cam surface.

andactuated by the advancing cam.

4. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles, means for knitting including a cam carrier, means to rotate said cam carrier, a stitch cam,

means'carried by said cam carrier for causingcertain of the needles to be operated at predetermined intervals to cause them to tuck comprising a retracting cam for carrying all of the needles below their normal level," and a following advancing cam, and means to selectively engage certain needles only with said advancing cam, and pattern controlled devices having an element movable with the cam carrier for moving the retracting and advancing cams into and out of contact with the needle butts at predeter mined times. a

5. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a rotatable cam carrier and a stitch cam for needles to a normal level in combination Witha supplemental cam mechanism comprlsing a retracting cam surface to carry all of the needles below said level and an ad'- vancing cam' surface and means for actuating'certain of the needles after'they have been influenced by the retracting cam to cause them to be engaged and to be actuatedby the advancing cam to, carry said needles only out of the path of the stitch cam.

6. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a cam carrier and stitch cam, and means to operate the cam carrier for rotary and reciprocatory knitting, a switch. cam for throwing a part of the needles into and out of the path of the stitchcam, devices including an advancing cam in the normal needle path, means for deflecting all of the needles eneath the said advancing cam and means actuating the needles, meansto return the for operating upon certain of the needles independently of the switch cam to throw them into contact with the advancing cam,

out of the path of the stitch cam, and into,

a position to cause them to be engaged and retracted by the switch cam after thepasof the stitch cam.

In knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, a cam carrier adapted for rotary and reciprocatory knitting, a switch cam for throw- 'ing part of the needles into and out of the path of the stitch cam, devices including an advancing cam in the normal needle path, means for deflecting the'needles beneath said advancing cam and means for operating upon certain of the needles independently of the switch cam to throw them into contact with the advancing cam, out of the path of the stitch cam, and into a position to cause them to be engaged and retracted by the switch cam after the passage of the stitch cam, and means for rendering said devices operative and inoperative at predetermined times.

8. In a circular knitting machine, a relatively fixed needle cylinder and independ-- ently movable needles, means for knitting including a rotatable stitch cam and means for causing some of the needles to be operated at predetermined times to make tuck stitches, comprising a cam rotating with the stitch cam for moving all of the needles out of their normal path, means to restore said needles to their normal path and means comv prising instruments in the needle cylinder to operate certainof the needles while out of their normal path, to take them above the stitch cam.

9. In a circular knitting machine, a rela tively fixed needle cylinder, independently movable needles, means for knitting including a rotatable cam carrier anda stitch cam, means comprising a needle retracting and a needle advancing cam for forming tuck stitches, a radial slide on the cam carrier on which said depressing andelevating cams are mounted, means to operate the slide to move thecams in t0, and out of contact with the needles and a relatively fixed actuator for said slide operating means.

10. A circular knitting machine having a needle carrier, a rotatable cam carrier, needles having operating butts, a stitch cam and a supplemental needle advancing cam acting on said butts, and means carried by said cam carrier for moving said advancing cam into and out of operative position, in combination with constantly active means having elements in said needle carrier for moving the operating butts of some of the needles only into range of said'advancing cam when it is in operative position.

11. In awknitting machine, a relatively fixed needle carrier and independently movable needles therein, "means for'khitting including a rotatable cam carrier, a stitch cam thereon, camdevi'ces thereon for'normally maintaining the needles at anactive level at which they will operatively encounter the stitch cam, in combinationwvith means for selecting and specially operating certain of .the needles only, comprising a retracting cam to take the needle below the normal level, a following advancing cam in a posi- .tion to render it ineffective uponthe needles so depressed, and means for elevating some of. the needles only to bring them into c0ntact with the elevating cam, comprising independently movable jacks in the needle carrier and means to operate them to lift selected needles into engagement with the advancing cam. e

12. In a knitting machine, a relatively fixed needle carrierand independently movable needles comprising a series of needles having long butts and a series of needles having short butts, a rotatable cam carrier and a stitch cam, and means for selectively operating certain of the needles of each of said series to cause them to fail to contact with the operative face of the stitch cam, said means comprising movable retracting and advancing cams and means having an element moving with the cam carrier to move said cams while opposite the short butt series of needles intoposition to first contact with a long butt needle and thereafter to a position to contact with both series of needles.

13. In a knitting machine, a needle carrier and independently movable needles some of which have long butts and some of which have short butts, a stitch cam, means for causing certain selected needles, independently of the lengths of their butts, to be carried to a path above the stitch cam, a cam for then depressing such long butt needles as have been selectively operated before said-needles are reached by the stitch cam, and means to move said cam for depressing the long butt needles into and out .of position in contact with said long butt needles only.

14. In a tucking mechanism for knitting machines, a cam mechanism for selectively operating upon independently movable needles comprising the usual stitch forming elements of a knitting machine including a needle carrier, independent needles, some having long butts and somehaving short butts, a stitch cam, and a switch cam, in

combination with a movable retracting cam,-

gagement with the'longbuttneedles only,

or into engagement with all the needles, means acting upon the long butt needles only to restore them to the normal level,

and devices to move said last mentioned K means into aninoperative position after the retracting and advancing cams have been removed from contact with the needles,-

15; In a circular knitting machine, a pattern mechanism, needle and cam carriers, independent needles and a stitch-cam, a supplementary cam mechanism for operating I certain of the needles without causing them lease the latch.

16. In a special stitch mechanism-for circular knitting machines, a relatively fixed needle cylinder, needles and knitting mechanism comprising a rotatable stitch-c am, cam means rotating with and preceding the stitch-cam for moving the needlescoacting therewith out of contact with the stitch cam, means to move certain of the needles at a predetermined time, in succession, into contact with said advancing cam, and means including an actuating element relatively fixed with respect to the needle cylinder to Witnesses:

secure the vertical separation of the first of said certain'needles to be so moved from the last of said needles, upon the second or a later passage of the advancing cam,

whereby the special stitch will occupy the whole of a course, or a multiple of courses, without overlapping.

' 17. In a cam mechanism for knitting machines, instruments havingoperating butts, a cam and means to move said cam into and :withdraw said cam from contact with the butts to be actuated by it, in combination with a relatively fixed stripper plate for engagement with the ends of the saidbutts to prevent them from moving with the cam when 'it-is withdrawn.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT scoT'r.

WALTER LARKIN, W. L. TOY. 

